The Ghost of Schafer Meadows Read online

  Charlie and Dad just looked at each other, shaking their heads. Charlie took the empty coffee cup from the table, carried it by one finger through the handle hole like it had some kind of disease, and put it in the sink. He washed his hands well before he picked up a small square piece of wood and began whittling. “It’s a good thing people like him don’t come back here often. They sure can make your job hard.”

  “We’d better keep an eye on him,” Dad said. “I don’t know what he’s up to, but I doubt we’ve heard the last from Hank Cooter.” He turned to me. “You make sure Oriole stays far away from him, Jessie. She’s obviously got good taste in people because she doesn’t like him at all, but she could get into real trouble. We know she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, but I don’t want to give Cooter any ammunition to harm her.”

  “Okay, Dad. I’ll be real careful.” I hugged Oriole to me, fearful of something awful happening to her.

  Just then another plane buzzed the airstrip. Looking out the door, Charlie folded and pocketed his knife and set down his new carving. “There’s Jim. Let’s go get him. He’ll brighten our day.”

  ******

  A small plane, blue on top and white below, landed and taxied back toward the station. The door opened and a tall man about Charlie’s age, wearing a blue baseball cap with an airplane on it, jumped out. He immediately bent over and started wrestling with Oriole. She ran around him, barking happily. The man dropped to his knees to pat her, and she licked his face. She’s not afraid of this person, I thought.

  “We were wrong about that dog of yours, Jessie,” Charlie said, as we reached the man. “She doesn’t have very good taste in people after all.”

  “Horton, you old goat,” the man said, pumping Charlie’s hand and slapping him on the back. “Stop telling lies. How do you ever expect me to meet beautiful women like this one here if you keep scaring them away?”

  Charlie chuckled. “This is Jim Gunderson from Bigfork, just outside Kalispell. We worked together years ago. This is Tom and Jessie Scott and Oriole.”

  Jim shook our hands and scratched Oriole on the head before walking back to his plane. He stuck his hand behind the pilot’s seat, brought out a small cooler with a paper bag on top, and carried them back to us. “Charlie told me there was a special person and her dog here that I needed to meet. I brought something for both of you.”

  He set the cooler on the ground and opened it. It contained a gallon tub of vanilla ice cream. Holding the bag just out of reach of Oriole’s nose he said, “This one’s for your dog. It’s dog biscuits. Figured I’d better make friends with the important people here first. That way maybe I’ll be allowed to stay.”

  “You can stay as long as you want,” I said, staring at the cooler like Oriole stared at the bag. “Anyone who brings ice cream is a friend of mine. And you sure made points with Oriole.”

  Jim carried the cooler to the cookhouse. Charlie took the ice cream from Jim and put it in the basement freezer. I gave Oriole a biscuit and closed the bag. The rest would go to the house for her to eat later.

  “Who has the other plane?” Jim asked as he sat and drank some grape Kool-Aid.

  “Guy named Hank Cooter from Kalispell. Know him?” Dad asked.

  “Can’t say that I do.”

  “He’s the kind that gives pilots a bad name,” said Charlie. “Real unfriendly sort. Didn’t offer a lot of information and he didn’t seem to want anything from us.”

  “Is he staying long?”

  “Don’t know. He said he’s staying in the campground tonight. That’s all I got out of him before Tom and Jessie came in. I’d be careful around him, Jim. He’s got a real mean streak.”

  “Swell. But changing the subject, I called Spotted Bear to see if they needed anything brought in. They told me the trail crew is going out tomorrow, so I brought enough steaks, spuds, and baked beans for everyone. Thought we could have a barbeque tonight at my campsite. That way I know I’ll get something good to eat. I don’t ever try to rely on Charlie’s cooking.”

  “Well, it’s about time you stopped mooching off me,” Charlie said.

  “Think I should invite Cooter?” asked Jim. “We might learn some more about him if we do.”

  “It’s up to you,” Dad said. “It might be pretty unpleasant having him around, but if you don’t invite him and he’s the only other person at the campground, it might make things even worse.”

  “I’ll ask him. If he’s as bad as you say, my guess is he won’t come. But at least we’ll have made an effort and he can’t complain.” Jim put his glass in the sink. “Think I’ll go to the campground and set up my tent. Then I want to see if Charlie left any fish in the river.”

  “Can Oriole and I come with you?” I asked.

  “Sure, bring your pole. Meet me after lunch and we’ll see if we can’t scare up some fish to have with our steak for dinner.”

  S E V E N

  The Light

  I made sure I had a couple of Cody’s chocolate chip cookies for lunch, just in case that old coot Hank came back again. After lunch I grabbed my fishing gear and whistled to Oriole. We met Jim in the campground sitting at a picnic table close to the airstrip. He had already put up his tall green dome tent.

  Jim grabbed his rod and tackle box. “Ready to show those fish who’s boss?”

  “I’m not very good at catching fish, but I sure like to chase them around.”

  “Well, I’m not the best, but maybe I can give you some pointers.”

  We spent the afternoon walking up and down along the river, fishing in places Jim thought would be good. We could see into some deep holes. Green, gray, and red rocks covered the river bottom. In some places tree roots snaked their way underwater, reaching for the bottom like long gnarled fingers. A few trout hid in the deepest pools under the shade of the trees, ignoring our lures. A light breeze rustled the cottonwood trees, and birds chirped and flitted from branch to branch in the shrubby willows. We kept moving, casting out our lures and watching them drift by. Sometimes rushing waters rolled over boulders, creating small rapids that roared past us.

  Oriole amused herself by chasing sticks along the bank and swimming when the river was calm enough. She took a long nap in the warm sun when we stopped for a break, occasionally whimpering in her sleep while her legs moved and her nose twitched. Jim and I laughed, trying to guess what she was dreaming.

  “I bet she’s chasing rabbits,” he said quietly.

  “I bet she’s chasing Hank Cooter,” I whispered, looking around first to make sure he wasn’t within earshot. I had told Jim how badly Hank had treated Oriole.

  “Well, I want you to know I think she’s a great dog and you’ve done a tremendous job training her. For as young as she is she’s extremely well behaved. You two are very lucky to have each other and to live out here. This is one of my favorite places in the world.”

  I felt like I could confide in Jim. “I’m still kind of mad at Dad for taking me away from New Mexico and my friends. He has no idea how hard it was on me.”

  “I bet he does, Jessie. Don’t forget, your dad had to leave his friends and home just like you. He’s probably having a hard time, too.”

  I never thought about that before. “Maybe so. But I haven’t told him yet that I really kinda like it here. Everyone so far except that crude dude Hank has been super, and Oriole keeps me busy. Maybe Schafer will become one of my favorite places, too. I’m—oh wow! I caught another one!”

  Jim helped me get the fish into the net. “That makes just about enough for dinner. What do you say we call it a day and head back? Charlie’ll give me a hard time if I don’t have everything perfect for dinner by the time everyone gets there.”

  “Can I ask you a question first, Jim?”

  “Fire away.”

  “You’ve spent a lot of time back here visiting Charlie. Did you ever see a ghost or hear stories of one? People sure have been talking a lot about that, but I don’t know.”

  “I’ve heard st
ories on occasion.”

  “Do you believe them? I don’t—at least I haven’t—but I’m a little scared. Last night I thought a man was in my room. Do you think it could be the ghost?”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, but I’ve never heard anyone at Schafer say a ghost harmed them.”

  “I just wonder who it might be.”

  “I wouldn’t know. Maybe Charlie or someone who’s been here a while could give you their thoughts.”

  We retrieved the fish string from the water and walked back to Jim’s campsite.

  “Why don’t you go home, Jessie? I can clean the fish myself.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t mind helping.” I really did—cleaning fish was pretty gross if you asked me—but I owed it to him after taking me with him all afternoon.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got dinner pretty well under control. It was fun, though. We’ll have to do it again.”

  ******

  We went to Jim’s campsite at 6 p.m. Celie had made Indian tacos with fry bread, a Blackfeet tradition, and Mandy contributed a huge salad. Cody baked a chocolate cake to go along with the ice cream, which Pete carried in a cooler. We were set.

  Jim had steaks and fish sizzling on the grill when we arrived, and he cooked them to order. I’d never tasted better, maybe because Jim grilled over mesquite wood chips he had brought in on the plane. Or maybe because Hank Cooter chose not to join us for dinner and I knew I didn’t have to be around him. He had pitched his tent on the other side of the campground and sat with his back to us the whole time we ate. That was fine with me and everyone else.

  We all laughed and talked and listened to stories from Charlie and Jim about the old days in the backcountry. The crew was eager to get started on their trail project in the morning, so they talked about their gear, making sure they had what they would need for the next ten days. Jim gathered firewood and we made a campfire. I sat on a camp chair I had brought from the house.

  “Look there.” Jim pointed to the airstrip.

  The mother moose and her baby ambled past. We watched them feed on grass uphill and upwind from us.

  A clear evening slowly turned into a black night. Stars filled the sky, twinkling and glittering.

  “There’s the North Star,” I said. “It’s my favorite because no matter where I am it gives me a sense of direction.”

  The North Star came out with the Big Dipper. The Milky Way spread out over our heads like a speckled road in the sky.

  “I’ve always loved looking at stars and finding the constellations,” Jim said. “And being a pilot I’ve wanted to learn to navigate by them.”

  The campground had an outhouse, close to Hank Cooter’s campsite. When I couldn’t wait any longer, I walked quickly and quietly to the outhouse, hoping Hank wouldn’t hear me and turn around. But he wasn’t sitting at his table anymore. A light lit up the inside of his tent. He must have gone there to sulk.

  Back at Jim’s campsite, Celie was telling Native American stories about the stars. It seemed everyone had some kind of tale to tell about the night sky.

  About 10:30 I got tired and decided to go home to bed. I walked over to Mom and Dad and told them I was going back to the house.

  “Good night, everyone,” I said. “Thanks for a great dinner and a fun afternoon, Jim. We’ll have to show Charlie how to catch fish sometime.”

  “You’re on,” Charlie said. “Soon.”

  “Come on, Oriole. Let’s go to bed.”

  I had my flashlight, but the bright starlight allowed me to see the dark shape of the barn and then the cookhouse, so I left it off. I had just reached the far side of the bunkhouse when I saw a light shining in the living room of our house. Mom and Dad hadn’t turned on any lights before we left for dinner, so what was that all about?

  Fear took hold of me as I watched the light move. Could it be the ghost? I froze in my tracks. It had to be!

  Softly, I said, “Oriole! Come quickly.”

  We hurried quietly to the side of the bunkhouse. Oriole sat while I leaned against the wall, peeking around the corner. The light moved again. It went from the living room into Jed’s room. Then it seemed to float back into the living room and then into the kitchen. My heart pounded in my throat. I wanted to run but couldn’t. All I could do was watch. My breath came in hard bursts.

  The light was like some evil being, searching every corner of the kitchen. It turned in my direction, and I ducked back behind the bunkhouse wall so it couldn’t see me.

  “Whoa, that was close!” I gasped to Oriole. “We gotta be careful.”

  It roamed around in the kitchen for a long time, and I grew more and more frightened the longer we stayed in our hiding place.

  Finally I couldn’t stand it any more. Turning around and clicking on my flashlight, I whispered, “Oriole, let’s go!”

  We ran as quietly as possible back to the campground. Pete sat nearest the path. Out of breath, I called him aside.

  “What’s up, Jessie? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I think I have. On our way to the house I saw a light moving around inside. Did you ever see the ghost do that?”

  “No, Jessie, but I doubt that’s what you saw. All those stories you heard about the ghost probably have your brain working overtime. C’mon. I’ll walk over with you and we’ll see if we can’t figure this out ourselves.”

  “Oh, thanks, Pete! I don’t want everyone to think I’m a chicken.”

  Pete, Oriole, and I headed back toward the house. When we reached the bunkhouse, I returned to the wall where I had watched the light. Once more I peeked around the corner. There were no lights. The house was dark.

  “I know there was a light, Pete! I’m not imagining it. It moved all around downstairs and stayed for a long time.”

  “I’m sorry Jessie, but I sure don’t see anything out of the ordinary. Let’s go into the house and see if anything looks strange.”

  The screen door squeaked our arrival and I cringed, thinking any ghost would hear us. Pete entered first, striking a match to turn on a gas light by the woodstove so we could see. Everything looked just like we’d left it.

  Then Oriole let out a low growl. Pete and I stood still and listened. We didn’t hear anything.

  “What’s wrong, Oriole?” I asked quietly.

  Oriole growled again and walked stealthily toward Jed’s room. She held her head high and sniffed the air. Pete rested his hand on my arm to stop me from following him. “Stay here,” he said quietly, both to me and Oriole.

  Slowly, Pete walked toward Jed’s room. He grabbed a poker from the woodstove as he went by. Cautiously he entered the room. I could see his back. He stood for a moment in the doorway. Then his shoulders relaxed and he dropped his arms, letting out a deep breath.

  “Nothing here. I don’t know what upset Oriole. Let’s keep looking.”

  We walked back into the living room and then into the kitchen. Oriole growled again and raised her hackles.

  “I don’t get it. There’s nothing here either,” I said, “but something is really bugging Oriole. She hasn’t growled in this house once since we got here. I thought the ghost was friendly, but she sure doesn’t think so.”

  “There’s nothing here to indicate that there’s a ghost,” Pete said, putting the poker back as he walked toward the door. “Or anything else for that matter. Is anything out of place?”

  When I shook my head, he said, “We know that everyone who works here was at the barbeque tonight. And we know Hank Cooter was in the campground. No one saw him leave. Let’s go back to the campground and get your folks. I think you’ll feel better if they come back with you.”

  “Okay, but I’ll feel pretty silly when they hear I saw a light and then it disappeared.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that. It’s better to tell someone, just in case.”

  As Pete and I started back we saw Mom, Dad, and Jed coming our way. We waited for them on the porch.

  “Mom, Dad, I’ve got something to tel
l you.”

  “What is it, Jessie?” Mom asked. “You look frightened.”

  We told them what had happened and they didn’t laugh at me, even when I said I thought the ghost had visited the house. That made me feel better.

  “No one who works here would enter the house without your permission,” Pete said, “but did you happen to see Hank Cooter before you left?”

  “Why, yes, I did,” Mom said. “I saw him come out of his tent and head to the outhouse about the time we left. You saw him, didn’t you, Tom?”

  “No, Kate. I had my back to his tent. Guess that leaves him out as a suspect. We’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I don’t think you saw a ghost, Jessie, so we’ll just call it a mystery until we find something else.”

  Pete left to go to bed. My parents, Jed, and I sat and talked a bit more. Dad said there was probably nothing to worry about.

  “Schafer is a very safe place, and there are lots of people around. But just to be cautious, I’ll call Spotted Bear tomorrow and have them let the law enforcement people know what you saw, Jessie.”

  When we went to bed, I brought Oriole up and wrapped my arms around her. I felt safe having her sleeping with me, knowing her great hearing and excellent nose would alert us to any danger.

  I fell asleep dreaming of ghosts.

  E I G H T

  Flying

  “Come boys!” I awoke next morning to someone shouting outside the house and rattling a can. I ran to the window in Mom and Dad’s room. The wranglers were on the airstrip, shaking a can of compressed alfalfa pellets the size of my thumb to entice the horses and mules to come to them. It was time to get the animals off the airstrip for the day.

  “Come boys!” I watched a stampede of horses and mules thunder past our house on their way to the barn. They knew it was breakfast time.